Skip E. Lowe | |
---|---|
Born | Sammy Labella June 6, 1929
Greenville, Mississippi, U.S. |
Died | September 22, 2014
Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 85)
Other names | Gaylord Esterbrook [1] [2] [3] |
Occupation(s) | Talk show host, actor |
Sammy Labella (June 6, 1929 – September 22, 2014), better known by his stage name Skip E. Lowe, was an American stand-up comedian, talk show host and actor.
Before adopting his now familiar stage name, LaBella worked as a stand-up comic, impressionist and master of ceremonies. In 1958, he performed in a number of Pittsburgh venues, [4] [5] most notably Lenny Litman's Copa, where he opened for Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and Dakota Staton. [6] [7] The following summer saw a number of engagements in New York State, and it was in July 1959 that LaBella made his first appearance as Skip E. Lowe at Glen Casino in Williamsville, New York. [8]
Beginning in 1978, he hosted Skip E. Lowe Looks at Hollywood, a weekly talk show for public-access cable television that aired in Los Angeles and New York City. [9]
He appeared in the films Black Shampoo (1976), The World's Greatest Lover (1977), Cameron's Closet (1988), and A-List (2006). In 2001, Lowe wrote The Boy with the Betty Grable Legs: A Showbiz Memoir. [10]
Martin Short cited him as the inspiration for his character Jiminy Glick. [11]
It is estimated that Lowe conducted some 6,000 cable-television interviews from 1978 to 2014.
Lowe died in Los Angeles, at age 85, on September 22, 2014, from emphysema. [11]
According to his former website, Lowe was cremated and had his ashes scattered at Ventura Pier on November 23, 2014.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1943 | Best Foot Forward | Cadet | uncredited |
1944 | Song of the Open Road | Minor Role | uncredited |
1945 | Hotel Berlin | Teenage Boy | uncredited |
1947 | Forever Amber | Young Man | uncredited |
1975 | Crazy Mama | uncredited | |
1976 | Black Shampoo | Artie | |
1976 | Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks | Doctor | uncredited |
1977 | Bare Knuckles | Cedric | |
1977 | The World's Greatest Lover | First Wardrobe Man | |
1979 | Bitter Heritage | ||
1988 | Cameron's Closet | Newscaster | |
1989 | Prime Suspect | Patient | |
1994 | Sunny Side Up | Himself | |
2005 | Murder on the Yellow Brick Road | Security Guard | |
2006 | A-List | Harry | |
2006 | Pittsburgh | Himself | |
2006 | Running Out of Time in Hollywood | ||
2014 | The Final Song | Himself |
Skip E. Lowe | |
---|---|
Born | Sammy Labella June 6, 1929
Greenville, Mississippi, U.S. |
Died | September 22, 2014
Los Angeles, California, U.S. | (aged 85)
Other names | Gaylord Esterbrook [1] [2] [3] |
Occupation(s) | Talk show host, actor |
Sammy Labella (June 6, 1929 – September 22, 2014), better known by his stage name Skip E. Lowe, was an American stand-up comedian, talk show host and actor.
Before adopting his now familiar stage name, LaBella worked as a stand-up comic, impressionist and master of ceremonies. In 1958, he performed in a number of Pittsburgh venues, [4] [5] most notably Lenny Litman's Copa, where he opened for Lambert, Hendricks and Ross and Dakota Staton. [6] [7] The following summer saw a number of engagements in New York State, and it was in July 1959 that LaBella made his first appearance as Skip E. Lowe at Glen Casino in Williamsville, New York. [8]
Beginning in 1978, he hosted Skip E. Lowe Looks at Hollywood, a weekly talk show for public-access cable television that aired in Los Angeles and New York City. [9]
He appeared in the films Black Shampoo (1976), The World's Greatest Lover (1977), Cameron's Closet (1988), and A-List (2006). In 2001, Lowe wrote The Boy with the Betty Grable Legs: A Showbiz Memoir. [10]
Martin Short cited him as the inspiration for his character Jiminy Glick. [11]
It is estimated that Lowe conducted some 6,000 cable-television interviews from 1978 to 2014.
Lowe died in Los Angeles, at age 85, on September 22, 2014, from emphysema. [11]
According to his former website, Lowe was cremated and had his ashes scattered at Ventura Pier on November 23, 2014.
Year | Title | Role | Notes |
---|---|---|---|
1943 | Best Foot Forward | Cadet | uncredited |
1944 | Song of the Open Road | Minor Role | uncredited |
1945 | Hotel Berlin | Teenage Boy | uncredited |
1947 | Forever Amber | Young Man | uncredited |
1975 | Crazy Mama | uncredited | |
1976 | Black Shampoo | Artie | |
1976 | Ilsa, Harem Keeper of the Oil Sheiks | Doctor | uncredited |
1977 | Bare Knuckles | Cedric | |
1977 | The World's Greatest Lover | First Wardrobe Man | |
1979 | Bitter Heritage | ||
1988 | Cameron's Closet | Newscaster | |
1989 | Prime Suspect | Patient | |
1994 | Sunny Side Up | Himself | |
2005 | Murder on the Yellow Brick Road | Security Guard | |
2006 | A-List | Harry | |
2006 | Pittsburgh | Himself | |
2006 | Running Out of Time in Hollywood | ||
2014 | The Final Song | Himself |